Category: vr zone portal

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BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Temporarily Closes VR Facilities in Japan

When it comes to stopping the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) events around the world are taking the precautionary approach of cancelling, such as the Games Developers Conference (GDC) and the Facebook Developers Conference (F8). As time goes on location-based entertainment (LBE) venues specialising in virtual reality (VR) are likely to face a similar decision to close, demonstrated in the fact that BANDAI NAMCO Amusement in Japan has temporarily suspended its facilities.

Bandai Namco Amusement

Outside of China, Japan has been one of the worst-hit with 287 reported cases. With that in mind BANDAI NAMCO Amusement said in a press release: “Based on the government’s basic policy on countermeasures against infection of new coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) in Japan, we have decided to temporarily suspend the amusement facilities we operate in Japan on the following schedule.”

The closures are due to last just under two weeks, affecting both VR and several over amusement sites:

  • VR ZONE Portal –  From Wednesday, 4th March to Sunday, 15th March.
  • MAZARIA – 29th February until Sunday, 15th March.
  • VR ZONE OSAKA – 29th February until Sunday, 15th March.

The company also notes that: “there may be a sudden change in business hours and temporary closure after the business resumption date.”

Mario Kart VR
Mario Kart VR. Image Credit: KWP

There hasn’t been an update at the moment from BANDAI NAMCO Amusement Europe regarding its facilities which include VR ZONE Portal London and VR ZONE Portal Westminster, both of which have the latest Mario Kart Arcade GP VR  experience.

Due to the interactivity associated with VR, wearing a headset then using either peripherals or motion controllers, this may cause customers to avoid the technology for fear of transmission. Well managed venues should have anti-bacterial/alcohol wipes on hand for basic hygiene reasons anyway, helping negate these worries in the first place.

COVID-19 has affected the VR industry in other ways, notably when it comes to hardware production. Companies like Facebook and Valve have said it’ll affect production and shipping. VR fans have been keen to get their hands on Valve Index ahead of the Half-Life: Alyx launch later this month. VRFocus will continue to monitor the situation and keep you updated.

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Co-op ‘Godzilla VR’ Game to Arrive at VR Arcades Across Japan Next Month

There’s no more befitting place or time for a roll-out of Godzilla VR, Bandai Namco’s latest addition to their Japan-based VR ZONE arcades. After all, November 3rd is Japan’s unofficial ‘Godzilla Day’, annually commemorating the giant lizard’s premiere on the silver screens in Japan back in 1954.

As first reported by Japanese VR tech site Mogura VR, the game is launching in Japan on November 3rd, coming to not only the flagship VR ZONE location in Shinjuku, but also the smaller VR ZONE Portals nationwide. Godzilla VR has already been in operation at VR ZONE in Osaka since September.

In Godzilla VR, four players sit in motion platforms outfitted with dual flight sticks and HTC Vive Pros, the physical pretense to what looks like an awe-inspiring co-op helicopter battle against the scaly behemoth.

Image courtesy Mogura VR

With the launch of VR Zone Shinjuku last summer, Bandai Namco has been using their growing number of Japan-based facilities as staging grounds for some of the best location-based VR content around, including Mario Kart Arcade GP VR and the warehouse-scale PvP shooter Ghost in the Shell: Arise.

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'Mario Kart VR' Blows Visitors Away at Japan's Shinjuku VR Zone

Earlier this month Mario Kart VR, arguably the most hotly-awaited VR experience, made its first steps into the United States with the opening of the VR Zone Portal in Washington D.C., a limited-time engagement nearby the National Mall.

We’re hoping to see a similar roll-out of Godzilla VR, because if it’s half as fun as the trailer makes it appear, VR ZONE-goers are in for an awesome time.

The post Co-op ‘Godzilla VR’ Game to Arrive at VR Arcades Across Japan Next Month appeared first on Road to VR.

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‘Mario Kart VR GP’ Heads Up Bandai Namco’s New VR Arcade Push

Bandai Namco today announced that the company is moving into the VR arcade space and one of the highlight VR experiences they’ll offer is one of the first VR experiences to involve official Nintendo blessing, Mario Kart Arcade GP VR.

Bandai Namco are veterans of the old fashioned arcade gaming industry, still wildly popular in the company’s home country of Japan. Now, they’re looking to freshen up the image of their out of home entertainment business by opening dedicated VR Arcades, complete with seated motion platforms and HTC Vive virtual reality powered experiences.

The news, announced today and translated for us by MoguraVR, states that Bandai Namco and their in-house VR development team known as “Project I Can” has been scouting Japan for locations in which to build these new VR venues since 2016. Director of Bandai Namco, Makoto Asanuma says he wanted to see synergies between the company’s big name IPs and virtual reality along with broadening their expertise in related technologies such as haptics.

Image courtesy | Bandai Namco / Nintendo

The company have announced 16 VR experiences which will feature in these new arcades, but by far the most notable and surprising is a VR version of Nintendo’s beloved racing franchise Mario Kart. Complete with virtual reality visuals, provided by the HTC Vive, the experience also looks to utilise a motion platform rig, complete with steering wheel. There are only brief glimpses of the experience in the promotional video above, but the thought of one of gaming’s most beloved franchises making its way to VR is heartening, especially given Nintendo’s stance on VR up to now.

The company is dipping its toe with a small mini ‘VR Zone Portal’ venue first, opening in London this summer with 3-4 new VR IP present. The first full sized “VR Zone” venue will open in Shinjuku, Japan in March of 2019. The facility will boast 40,000 square feet of space over 2 floors and, alongside Mario Kart GP VR will feature other famous VR franchise entries including Evangelion and Dragon Ball.

We’ll keep you up to date on developments of Bandai Namco’s new VR venture once we learn more. Thanks again to MoguraVR for the translation.

The post ‘Mario Kart VR GP’ Heads Up Bandai Namco’s New VR Arcade Push appeared first on Road to VR.